Netbooks- iPads

   I think the idea of one-to-one computing is a great one and could be very useful in the classroom.  There are still some kinks that seem to need to be worked out and in the reading there are both pros and cons to look at with implementing the netbooks.  They would be a great resource for students to use as long as the school or all parents had the financial ability to provide them for everyone.  As we have all seen there are so many options and capabilities for furthering students education by using more technology.  The good thing is that over the years they have come out with so many different styles of netbooks with different capabilities and sizes that help give schools options.  I did really enjoy the section in the book that talked about even if you do the one-to-one computing with students that does not in itself make a difference in academic achievement.  As teachers we need to take these resources but also learn to rethink some approaches and begin to focus more on student-centered strategies and creating collaboration and communication through the class. 
     iPads are nice features to have in the classroom because of their many fun and educational applications as well as the internet access and the nice size for easy transportation.  The only thing about the iPads is that it is not an easy tool to have if you are wanting students to type papers because they do not have keypads and they do not have flash or adobe on them and so there are some limitations when using the web.  Then if you look at notebooks it is easy to see that the lower price really makes them a nice option for all the students.  They come in different sizes so you can get whatever works best for your classroom.  The chapter talked about how sometimes they have limited capabilities which some could think is a disadvantage or you could look at it in the way that students cannot get into as much trouble with gaming while they should be working.  Neither option is perfect but if the school is looking financially netbooks are the better option and can just as useful and helpful as iPads would be. 

MP3 Players

    Pros of MP3's
       - Promotes growth in critical thinking, problem solving, and workplace skills
       - Can help ELL students improve their skills in English
       - English speakers can learn to speak other languages
       - Create teacher-created podcasts designed to help students review concepts when on bus or at home
       - Use to teach students about property rights, and copyright laws
       - Students can dictate and record notes while working on research or on a field trip

    Cons of MP3's
       - Students use them to cheat on tests
       - Students might isolate themselves from other classmates
       - Illegal downloading of music
       - A distraction from what is going on in class

    After looking through the links in this chapter the one that I thought was the best and would be the most helpful in the classroom is the LearnOutLoud.com.  I like this one the best and it stood out to me because there was so many different downloadable MP3's/audio books for every different topic that will be very helpful for students doing research or just interested in certain topics.  There is also a lot of podcasts on this site and if teachers signed up they could also publish podcasts on this site.  Letting children go on this site and learn by listening and seeing the information would be a helpful tool for them. 

     I believe that the idea of using podcasts in the classroom for your students is great and could be fun and helpful. Especially for older kids it would be helpful for the teacher to put up lectures or important information that will be on an exam or test.  This would also be a great project for a teacher to asign a classroom.  If they took the time to plan and create their own podcast that they will share with their peers they could get a lot out of what they were learning.  There is many options and ways to incorporate MP3's and podcasts into the classroom and they could be effective tools if used appropriatly.

Cell Phones

     Brooks-Young wrote a chapter in the book on cell phones including statistics, viewpoints, strategies, and suggestions.  She laid out a lot of statistics that can be somewhat surprising when realizing how big of an impact cell phones really do have on society and children at such a young age.  The first stat that seemed very drastic was how the number of teenagers using cell phones has raised from 36% to 79% in just three years.  That just shows that the rate of teenagers using technology is continuing to advance at a rapid rate.  Another extremely surprising statistic was that forty-six percent of children ages 9-11 have cell phones and twenty percent of children ages 6-8 have them as well.  Some might not think this is a huge number but I think for children of this age that is a very substantial number.
     I can see both the advantages and disadvantages that involve using cell phones in the classroom.  Part of me feels that using cell phones is not a necessary part of school for children especially for schools who are getting iPads and laptops for their students because virtually an iPad is going to do everything and more for the children that a cell phone will do.  If they do have access to this kind of technology than I feel cell phones will just be a distraction because all students will be using them for is to text or call friends which is just a distraction from class.  There are however some ways that as a teacher you could incorporate the cell phone.  I know personally I have played around with the polleverywhere.com and set up different quizzes and polls and I think that if you were going to allow students to have cell phones and want them to incorporate them into learning this is such a great way to do it.  I also feel that dealing with the cell phone problem will take a lot of time and energy that might be spent on something more productive.  I have mixed feelings about the use of cell phones, but we are getting to a point in time where incorporating them might be the best and most effective use of time and technology.  
 

21st Century Skills

  This chapter over 21st centurey skills was just one example of how technology can transfer a school.  Reading about how implementing technology into the classroom can affect both teachers and students should drastically change how we approach education.  We are beginning to teach in a world that relies on technology and the advantages that we can see being produced such as efficient use of time, more involvement from students, and better collaboration from everyone. 
   I have never been in a school that was struggling quite like this one in New York, but I have seen the many resources and educational options that are available by using technology and I am not suprised by such a turn of events.  The Google Applications are just one great available resource for teachers, but as we have looked at in classes throughout our education there are many more to also explore.  It can be difficult to keep up with all the advances in technology, but I think it is important to devote time to continuing to advance for the benifit of both the teacher and student.  One quote from the book that really expresses how important it is for schools to continue updating there technological useses is, "We're just on first base, we haven't fully used the tools that are out there, and there are tons more coming."  This just show that no matter how great you think your school is advancing there is always another step forward to take. 
   These skills and advancements are not only good for the students but also for the teachers and parents who are trying to keep students involved and their work under control.  With using technology to set up discussions, grade papers, record attendence and behavior, teachers are able to inform both principles and parents of how the students are really doing.  The imediate interaction between parents and teachers or students and teachers creates a whole new classroom atmosphere.  It is not only important to have teachers and students on the same page with technology, but getting the parents involved in the process will create a better collaboration and more help given to students from home. 
    It is no surprise that Google and other forms of 21st century technology have transformed classrooms, but we can only be prepared for more advances.  Applying these skills as a teacher will help the students, parents, and yourself when preparing lessons and activities for the classroom.  It takes collaboration and willingness to adapt on all sides and it is our job as the new incoming teachers to help evolve our schools into the technological schools of the future. 

*Book- Retool Your School by: James Lerman & Ronique Hicks